Ndị Ikpe 18
1 Nʼoge ahụ kwa, ụmụ Izrel enweghị eze ọbụla na-achị ha. Ebo Dan na-achọkwara onwe ha ebe obibi nke ga-abụ ala nke aka ha, nʼihi na ruo ugbu a, ha enwebeghị ike chụpụ ndị bi nʼala ahụ e kenyere ha dịka ihe nketa nke ha.
At that time Israel didn't have a king. The tribe of Dan was looking for territory where they could live, because up until then they hadn't gained possession of the land granted to them among the tribes of Israel.
2 Nʼihi nke a, ebo Dan sitere nʼikwu ise dị nʼebo ha họpụta mmadụ ise. Ndị a bụ dimkpa, na dike nʼagha, bụrụkwa ndị si nʼobodo Zora na Eshtaol. Ha zipụrụ mmadụ ise ndị a ka ha gaa nyochaa ala ahụ ha na-achọ ibi nʼime ya. Mgbe ndị ahụ jeruru obodo ugwu ugwu Ifrem, ha gara nọdụ ọdụ abalị nʼụlọ Maịka.
So the Danites chose from among them five leading men from Zorah and Eshtaol to scout out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. When the men came to the hill country of Ephraim, they arrived at Micah's house where they spent the night.
3 Mgbe ha nọ nso ụlọ Maịka, ha nụrụ asụsụ nwokorobịa onye Livayị ahụ bụ onye nchụaja. Ha kpọpụtara ya nʼotu akụkụ jụọ ya ajụjụ sị, “Onye kpọtara gị ebe a? Gịnị ka ị na-eme nʼebe a? Gịnị mere i ji bịa nʼebe a?”
While they were there, they recognized the young Levite's accent, so they went to him and asked him, “So who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
4 Nwokorobịa ahụ kọwara ha ihe Maịka meere ya. Ọ gwara ha, “O nyere m ọrụ, abụkwa m onye nchụaja ya.”
“Micah arranged things for me, and he hired me as his priest,” he told them.
5 Ha sịrị ya, “Ọ dị mma! Biko, jụta Chineke ase, chọpụta ma ije anyị a ọ ga-agakwa nke ọma.”
“Please ask the Lord for us so we can find out if our journey will be successful,” they asked him.
6 Onye nchụaja ahụ zara sị ha, “Gaa nʼudo. Ije unu nwere ngọzị Onyenwe anyị.”
“Go in peace,” the priest replied. “The journey you are taking is being observed by the Lord.”
7 Ya mere, ndị ikom ise ndị ahụ biliri ije bịaruo nʼobodo Laish, ebe ha hụrụ na ndị ahụ na-ebi nʼudo, na-enweghị nsogbu ọbụla. Ha dịka ndị obodo Saịdọn, ndị onwe ha juru afọ, ndị na-adịghị atụ anya ihe egwu ọbụla. Ha bụ ndị bara ụba, ebe ọ dịghị ihe ọbụla kọrọ ụkọ nʼala ahụ. Ọzọ, ha bi nʼebe dị anya site nʼobodo ndị Saịdọn. Ọ dịkwaghị ihe ha na mmadụ ọbụla nwekọrọ.
The five men left and went to the town of Laish. They observed that the people there lived in safety, and followed the customs of the Sidonians. The people were unsuspecting and confident of their security, at home in a productive land. They didn't have a strong ruler, they lived a long way from the Sidonians, and had no other allies to help them.
8 Mgbe ndị nnyocha ahụ laghachiri nʼobodo Zora na Eshtaol, ndị ebo Dan ibe ha jụrụ ha, sị, “Unu si aṅaa jee? Gịnị ka unu chọpụtara?”
The men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you…?”
9 Ha zara sị, “Bịanụ, ka anyị gaa buso ha agha. Anyị ahụla ala ahụ, ọ dịkwa mma nke ukwu. Gịnị ka unu na-agbara nkịtị? Unu egbula oge ịba nʼebe ahụ nweta ya.
“Come on, let's go and attack them!” the men interrupted. “We've surveyed the land, and it's excellent! Aren't you going to do something? Don't put off going there and occupying the land!
10 Mgbe unu ruru ebe ahụ, unu ga-ahụ ndị na-adịghị atụ anya ihe egwu ọbụla, na ala sara mbara nke Chineke na-etinye unu nʼaka. Ala nke ihe ọbụla na-adịghị akọ nʼime ya.”
When you get there you'll find the people are unsuspecting and the land is extensive. God has given you a place where there's no shortage of anything!”
11 Ya mere, narị ndị agha isii ndị si nʼebo Dan biliri gaa ibuso obodo ahụ agha. Ha sikwa Zora na Eshtaol pụọ.
So six hundred Danite armed men left Zorah and Eshtaol, ready to attack.
12 Mgbe ha na-aga, ha rutere Kiriat Jearim, nke dị na Juda, maa ụlọ ikwu ha nʼebe ahụ. Ọ bụ ya mere e ji akpọ ebe ahụ dị nʼakụkụ ọdịda anyanwụ Kiriat Jearim Mahane Dan ruo taa.
En route they camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That's why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called the Camp of Dan to this very day.
13 Emesịa, ha pụrụ nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem, bịarute nʼụlọ Maịka.
Then they left from there and went into the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.
14 Mmadụ ise ndị ahụ gara nnyochapụta ala (ya bụ ala Laish) ahụ gwara ụmụnna ha sị, “Unu maara na nʼime otu ụlọ ndị a na e nwere efọọd, nʼụfọdụ arụsị ezinaụlọ ndị dị iche iche, na oyiyi a kpụrụ akpụ nke eji ọla wuo? Ugbu a, maranụ ihe unu ga-eme.”
Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land of Laish told the other tribesmen, “Do you realize that here in these houses there's an ephod, household gods, and a carved idol, an image made with molten silver? So you know what you should do.”
15 Ya mere, ha gara nʼebe ahụ, banye nʼụlọ nwokorobịa Livayị ahụ, ebe o bi nʼụlọ Maịka, jụọ ya maka ọdịmma ya.
The five men left the road and went to where the young Levite was living in Micah's home to ask how he was.
16 Narị ndị ikom Dan, ndị jikere ibu agha, guzo nʼọnụ ụzọ ama.
The six hundred Danite armed men stood at the entrance by the gate.
17 Mgbe ahụ, ndị nnyocha ise ahụ banyere nʼime ụlọ ahụ buru arụsị ọla ahụ, na efọọd ahụ, na arụsị ezinaụlọ ndị ahụ, ma onye nchụaja ahụ na narị ndị agha isii ndị ji ngwa agha guzo nʼọnụ ụzọ ama.
The five men went inside and took the carved idol, the ephod, the household idols, and the image made with molten silver. The priest was standing by the gate with the six hundred armed men.
18 Mgbe ndị ikom ahụ banyere nʼụlọ Maịka buru arụsị ọla ahụ, efọọd ahụ na arụsị ezinaụlọ ndị ọzọ ahụ, onye nchụaja ahụ sịrị ha, “Gịnị ka unu na-eme?”
When the priest saw them taking all the religious objects from Micah's home, he asked them, “What are you doing?”
19 Ha zara sị ya, “Mechie ọnụ gị! Ekwukwala okwu ọbụla. Soro anyị bịa bụrụ nna anyị na onye nchụaja anyị. Ọ ga-abara gị uru karịa ịbụ onye nchụaja nye otu ebo na otu agbụrụ nʼIzrel, karịa ịbụ onye nchụaja nke naanị otu nwoke nʼime ezinaụlọ ya.”
“Be quiet! Don't say anything! Come with us, and you can be our ‘father’ and priest. Wouldn't it be better for you if instead of being a priest for just one man's household that you were the priest of an Israelite tribe and family?”
20 Mgbe ahụ, obi tọrọ nwokorobịa onye nchụaja ahụ ụtọ isoro ha gaa. O buuru efọọd ahụ, arụsị ezinaụlọ ndị ọzọ ahụ na oyiyi ahụ a pịrị apị soro ndị ahụ gawa.
This seemed like a good idea to the priest and he left with them. Carrying the ephod, the household idols, and the image made with molten silver, he marched with the people all around him.
21 Ha malitekwara ije ha, ụmụntakịrị ha, na igwe anụ ụlọ ha, na ngwongwo ha ka ha tinyere nʼihu ha.
They continued their journey, putting their children, livestock, and possessions ahead of them.
22 Mgbe ha gamitụrụ nke nta site nʼụlọ Maịka, ndị ikom ndị bi nso ụlọ Maịka kpọkọtara onwe ha chụso ndị Dan, gafee ha.
The Danites were already quite a way from Micah's home when men from Micah's village caught up with them,
23 Maịka na ndị so ya na-etikwa mkpu na-akpọku ha sị ha kwụsị ije ha. Ma ndị ebo Dan jụrụ Maịka ajụjụ sị ya, “Gịnị na-eme gị iji kpọpụta ndị gị ka ha bịa lụso anyị agha?”
shouting at them. The Danites turned around to face them and asked Micah, “What's the matter with you? Why call out these men to come after us?”
24 Ọ zaghachiri, “Unu chịịrị chi ndị m mere, kpọrọ onye nchụaja m pụọ. Gịnị ọzọ ka m nwekwara? Olee otu unu si ajụ, ‘Gịnị na-eme gị?’”
“You stole the gods I made, and my priest too, and then left. What have you left me with? How can you ask me, ‘What's the matter with you?’”
25 Ndị ikom Dan zara sị ya, “Lezie anya kpachara anya banyere ụdị okwu ị na-ekwu. Nʼihi na i kwuo ụdị okwu a gaa nʼihu, ụfọdụ ndị ikom isi na-anụ ọkụ ga-abịa lụso gị agha gbuo gị na ndị ezinaụlọ gị.”
“Don't complain to us!” Danites replied. “Otherwise some hot-tempered people here might attack you and you and your family will lose your lives!”
26 Ya mere, ndị ebo Dan gbara ya nkịtị na-aga ebe ha na-aga. Mgbe Maịka hụrụ na ha dị ọtụtụ karịa ya, ọ hapụrụ ha, tụgharịa laghachi nʼụlọ ya.
The Danites carried on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him to fight so he turned around and went back home.
27 Ụmụ Dan chịịrị arụsị ahụ niile Maịka mere, durukwa onye nchụaja ya gawa nʼobodo Laish, obodo nọ nʼudo, nke na-adịghị atụ anya ihe egwu ọbụla. Ha busoro ndị obodo ahụ agha, suo obodo ahụ ọkụ.
So the Danites took with them the idols that Micah had made, as well as his priest. They attacked Laish with its peaceful and unsuspecting people, killed them with swords, and burned down the town.
28 Ọ dịghị onye ọbụla nwere ike bịa inyere ndị obodo ahụ aka nʼihi ha bi nʼebe dị anya site nʼobodo Saịdọn. O nwekwaghị obodo ọbụla ha na ha na-emekọrịta. Obodo a dị na ndagwurugwu dị nso na Bet-Rehob. Emesịa, ndị ebo Dan wughachiri obodo ahụ ọzọ, biri nʼime ya.
No one could save them because they were a long way from Sidon and had no other allies to help them. The town was in the valley belonging to Beth-rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
29 Ọ bụ nke a mere e ji kpọọ aha obodo ahụ Dan, nke bụ aha nna ha ochie, onye bụ nwa Izrel. Ma tupu ebo Dan ebibie ya, aha obodo a nʼoge gara aga bụ Laish.
They renamed the city Dan after their forefather, the son of Israel. Laish was its former name.
30 Nʼebe ahụ ndị Dan guzobeere onwe ha arụsị, Jonatan, nwa Geshọm, nwa Mosis, na ụmụ ya ndị ikom niile ghọọrọ ndị nchụaja nye ebo Dan ruo nʼoge a dọtara ala ahụ nʼagha.
The Danites erected the carved idol to worship, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons became priests for the tribe of Dan until the time when the people went into captivity from the land.
31 Ndị ebo Dan nọgidere na-efe arụsị ndị ahụ Maịka mere oge ahụ niile ụlọ nzute Chineke dị na Shaịlo.
They worshiped the carved idol that Micah had made the whole time God's Temple was at Shiloh.
